Walking is an effective way to lose overall body fat, including dangerous belly fat. By walking just 30 minutes per day and combining it with a healthy diet, you can expect to lose belly fat over time.
How Much Belly Fat Can You Lose by Walking 30 Minutes Per Day?
The amount of belly fat you lose depends on several factors:
- Your starting weight and body fat percentage
- The intensity of your walks
- The frequency of your walks (how many days per week)
- Your diet and other lifestyle habits
For example, if you weigh 200 pounds with 30% body fat and start walking briskly for 30 minutes 4-5 days per week while also cleaning up your diet, you may lose around 1-2 pounds per week. A good portion of this will be belly fat.
In one study, researchers had 32 obese participants follow a lifestyle program that included a 30 minute walk 5 days per week for 12 weeks. On average, they lost 4 pounds of belly fat over the 12 weeks.
Why Walking Helps Reduce Belly Fat
There are a few reasons why walking is effective for reducing belly fat:
1. It burns calories and body fat
Walking requires energy, so it burns calories. The number of calories you burn depends on your weight and the intensity of your walks:
| Weight | Calories burned per 30 minutes |
|---|---|
| 120 lbs | 85-100 |
| 150 lbs | 105-125 |
| 180 lbs | 125-150 |
As you can see, the more you weigh, the more calories you’ll burn per 30 minutes. And when you burn more calories than you consume, you lose body fat.
2. It reduces appetite and cravings
Going on regular walks can reduce levels of the hunger hormone ghrelin while boosting levels of appetite-suppressing hormones like peptide YY and GLP-1.
This hormonal effect helps rein in cravings and hunger, allowing for easier fat loss.
3. It targets belly fat specifically
One study compared fat loss between people who did aerobic exercise only versus resistance training plus aerobic exercise. The combo group lost 4 more pounds of fat from the abdominal area.
This is likely because the combo of cardio and resistance training helps build muscle while burning fat. More muscle revs your resting metabolism, improving your body’s ability to burn fat around the clock.
4. It may help reduce stress
Chronic stress exposure encourages belly fat storage. Exercise such as walking may help reduce stress and anxiety levels, indirectly helping to shrink belly fat.
How to Maximize Belly Fat Loss When Walking
Here are some tips to maximize belly fat burning from your daily walks:
Walk faster and incorporate hills
Pick up your walking speed and include some hills or intervals to burn more calories in a 30-minute walk.
Walk after meals
Going for a walk after eating helps stabilize blood sugar and lowers the overall blood sugar response to your meal.
Add strength training
Perform body weight exercises 1-2 days per week in addition to walking to help build muscle and rev your metabolism.
Reduce stress
Try yoga, meditation, deep breathing, or other stress-relieving habits to optimize belly fat loss.
Watch your diet
Be sure to eat plenty of lean protein, healthy fats, fruits, and vegetables. Avoid excess sugar, refined carbs, and alcohol.
Conclusion
Walking just 30 minutes per day can absolutely help you lose belly fat, especially when combined with a healthy diet and other healthy lifestyle habits. To maximize fat loss, walk at a brisk pace, incorporate hills and resistance training, reduce stress, and watch your diet.
With consistency, walking is an effective and easy way to shrink that belly over time without drastic dieting or grueling workouts.